The TAPS-4 provides information about language processing and comprehension skills across three intersecting areas: phonological processing, auditory memory and listening comprehension. These areas underpin the development of effective listening and communication skills, and are critical to the development of higher order language skills, including literacy skills.

The TAPS-4 features new subtests along with revisions to subtests from the TAPS-3, fully updated norms, and an expanded age range. The TAPS-4 subtests were also reorganized into Index and Supplemental subtests, reducing testing burden and increasing flexibility in administration.

The TAPS-4 also offers audio administration for the subtests in which proper pronunciation of speech sounds is critical, providing a greater degree of standardization and accuracy during the testing process.

The TAPS-4 has 11 subtests, organized into three indices:

Phonological Processing Index:

Word (Pair) Discrimination: Assesses an individual's ability to discriminate whether items in a given word pair are the same or different

Auditory Comprehension: Assesses an individual's ability to comprehend oral language at the sentence and narrative level, including literal recall, inference, and higher order language tasks such as idioms and figurative language

The TAPS-4 assesses five narrow abilities across three broad skill areas as defined in the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities:

Short-Term Memory

Memory Span (MS)

Working Memory Capacity (MW)

Auditory Processing

Phonetic Coding (PC)

Resistance to Auditory Stimulus Distortion (UR)

Comprehension Knowledge

Listening Ability (LS)

Administration and Scoring

TAPS-4 Index subtests can be administered in one hour or less. Scaled scores are provided for subtests; standard scores are provided for indices and the overall score. Discrepancy scores allow comparison of performance across subtests.